Low cost airline Scoot flew into Sydney today for its inaugural service with chief executive Campbell Wilson stating his confidence in the business model despite a gloomy economic outlook.
“If you were choosing when to start a business you wouldn’t do it in the current economic situation,” Wilson said.
Despite this the carrier announced that it will expand its Asian routes to service Taipei and Tokyo from October this year.
“People’s desire to travel doesn’t change with the economy it’s just their willingness to pay. If they can still get a good value option they will take it,” Wilson said.
The airline is considering daily services to Taipei and Tokyo due to the popularity of these destinations among their target demographic.
Wilson told Travel Today that he was surprised to find that travel to Sydney was not a more popular destination for Singaporeans under the age of 30. “It was still perceived as their parent’s destination not their destination and we want to change that,” Wilson said.
The low cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines has the capacity to bring 400 passengers into Sydney each day which is estimated to inject $146 million into the NSW economy annually.
“We’ve seen examples of low cost carriers stimulating markets both here and internationally,” Sydney Airport CEO Kerrie Mather said.
Rather than competing with traditional service carriers, Mather said that low cost airlines are creating a new demand for travel that is inexpensive and comfortable.
One third of bookings have been for the no frills product with the same quota of passengers opting for the full package that includes baggage and an in-flight meal.
